overwhelmed by so much (often conflicting) info on natural approaches

Yes, I have also been working with a physical therapist towards building up to the Liftmor exercises. However, she warns against doing the Liftmor exercises on my own so Im interested in what you are doing with a personal trainer. Is it one on one? For how many times a week and for how long a session? Not sure I could afford that. My PT is covered by medicare but only for a specific time. She is suggesting going to a gym and using the machines instead after I am up to lifting 25 pounds, but I would prefer using a trainer instead if it was affordable. Any advice or thoughts? Thanks!

Love that you are working with a trainer to do the LIFTMOR exercises. That sounds like the best weight-bearing exercise plan if you are able to work up to it. For those with either more severe t-scores or whose physical condition prevents rigorous weight training and jumping, OsteoStrong gyms offer a safe and super-effective bone-loading exercise. There are a couple hundred or so around the US and more around the world.

I’ve read pro and con about Osteo Strong and would be interested in actually going to a facility. The nearest one is a couple hour drive from me.

I’ve read pro and con about Osteo Strong and would be interested in actually going to a facility. The nearest one is a couple hour drive from me.

I meet with her once a week and she designs my program and we work out. I work out 2 other days without her. Right now the program has focused on a full body workout with increasing weights and we are gradually moving into incorporating the deadlifts, squats, overhead presses and pull up/jumps. She is spending a lot of time teaching me proper technique.
When I am fully in the LIFTMOR protocol i will work out with my husband on those off days as he is quite knowledgeable and goes to the gym most days.

Maybe check out classes offered by Dr. Sherri Betz, PT. They're online so no need to drive 2 hours each way!
Sherri and her classes terrific! The classes are bone-safe, reasonably-priced, and based on the LIFTMOR protocol. Her beginning strength training class is on Friday mornings. https://www.drsherribetz.com/virtual-pilates

@swuelfing1 Thank you for posting this. I’ve been thinking about this topic too.

I heard an excellent show yesterday on the radio on Nutrition and Health where the experts discussed the use of supplements for a variety of health conditions. Osteoporosis came up in the discussion. The consensus was this. Start with one’s diet. Try to get as much vitamins and minerals as required from your diet. The viewpoint was not to start with supplements but rather start with your diet. And then for osteoporosis (and heart disease as they came up in the radio program) figure out the exercise you need.

I tried for about 8 years to manage my osteoporosis with diet and exercise. I continued to lose bone density and so finally decided to go with medication. I was on Fosamax for 5 years and along with keeping up with diet and exercise I did gain bone density. Unfortunately, that was somewhat “undone” when I needed to address cancer recurrence (endometrial cancer) through radiation therapy. I lost some bone density through pelvic radiation which the radiation oncologist warned me about. I had a fracture in the sacrum. So now, with the advice of my Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, I’m on Evenity for 12 months.

The information on so-called natural approaches is conflicting. I think the best I can do is to talk with my doctors, the nutritionist, and do my own research. Then make a decision on what works best for me. For me, completely avoiding the use of osteoporosis medications by trying to go all natural just didn’t work as evidenced by the sacral fracture.

Which way are you leaning?

I did reverse osteopenia without drugs. It takes concentrated effort and attention though. But that was years ago and I have gotten slack in my efforts.
Now I have osteoporosis. I am
working with a functional medicine doctor to manage it without medicine ( I’ve had 3 doctors tell me not to take the drugs, one of them being a orthopedic surgeon). I have a list of amounts of vitamins and minerals to get daily, as many as possible from diet.
What ever route you take, please take K2 in the form of MK7. It’s what keeps calcium from going to your arteries, put simplistically.

Yes, I have also been working with a physical therapist towards building up to the Liftmor exercises. However, she warns against doing the Liftmor exercises on my own so Im interested in what you are doing with a personal trainer. Is it one on one? For how many times a week and for how long a session? Not sure I could afford that. My PT is covered by medicare but only for a specific time. She is suggesting going to a gym and using the machines instead after I am up to lifting 25 pounds, but I would prefer using a trainer instead if it was affordable. Any advice or thoughts? Thanks!

Dr. McCormick's OsteoStim product states "• Vitamin K2-MK4 is not only the form of vitamin K2 that has been the most researched, but it also has been shown to be the only form of vitamin K able to activate a critical step in collagen formation not seen with K1 or K2-MK7. "